Breakdown of Zij controleert vaak de rekken en stalt de koopwaar uit.
zij
she
en
and
vaak
often
controleren
to check
uitstallen
to display / to lay out (goods for show)
de koopwaar
the merchandise
het rek
the rack
Questions & Answers about Zij controleert vaak de rekken en stalt de koopwaar uit.
Why is the subject zij missing after en?
This is called samentrekking (conjunction reduction). When two main clauses are joined by a coordinating conjunction like en, maar, or of, you can leave out parts of the second clause that are identical to the first. Here, the subject zij is identical and plays the exact same grammatical role in both clauses, so it only needs to be stated once.
Does the adverb vaak apply to the second action as well?
It can! Because of samentrekking, if an adverb or object is identical in both clauses, it is often dropped in the second one. Depending on the context, this sentence can imply that she often checks the racks AND often displays the merchandise, without needing to repeat vaak.
Why is uit at the very end of the sentence?
It is the prefix of the separable verb uitstallen (to display or lay out). Even though the subject is omitted, the second half of the sentence is still a main clause. The conjugated verb (stalt) takes the second position (right after where the omitted subject belongs), and the prefix (uit) is kicked to the end of the clause.
Is koopwaar a plural word, like "wares" in English?
No, koopwaar (merchandise) is an uncountable, singular noun in Dutch, much like the English word "merchandise". It takes the common article de and does not get a plural ending.
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